Acer Extensa 5220-2516 User Review

by Perry Longinotti

Every year as back to school season approaches Best Buy teases consumers into their stores with loss leader notebooks. Usually they sell out pretty fast. It probably isn't the typical PC users that buy them, but rather tweakers who are looking for a decent kit to experiment with. What kind of experiments? Linux distributions and other hacked OSes.

I thought it would be cool to pick one up when my monthly Best Buy Credit Card statement arrived with a '$50 off any notebook' coupon attached. This years Best Buy attention grabber is priced at $399 CDN ($349 after coupon).

What does $350 get you these days?

• Celeron M550 2GHz CPU
• Intel Santa Rosa chipset with GMA X3100
• 1GB of DDR2 RAM at 667MHz
• 120GB Hitachi 5400 RPM HDD
• Pioneer DL DVD Multi recorder
• 802.11g and Gigabyte Ethernet
• Windows Vista Home Premium
• 6-cell 4000 mAh battery

Not a bad specification at all. Just a short time ago these components would have been fit for a premium rig.

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Out of the Box

Acer ships the 5220 in a nondescript box. Inside you will find the battery, AC adapter, a large printed manual and no recovery discs. Make sure you burn a recovery set as soon as you start up.

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Speaking of start-up, this particular Acer would not start. It would not even post. Suspecting an unseated Sodimm, I popped off the access cover. It turned out that one of the two 512 MB sticks was actually faulty. Not a great way to start my experience with the 5220.

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While I had the notebook open, I noticed that the CPU is in fact socketed. The 5220's Socket P will accept any one of a multitude of CPUs (Merom and Penryn based). Unlike some recent budget notebooks based on Intel's Santa Rosa platform, the 5220 only has one miniPCI slot.
Once the RAM situation was sorted out I booted with 512MB. Vista first boot rendered the notebook unusable for about the first hour. With 1024MB of RAM installed the first boot experience on a subsequent install was much better.

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Performance

Starting with the CPU; the Celeron M 550 is based on Intel's Merom architecture (standard-voltage, 65 nm). Merom is the previous generation of Intel's Core microarchitecture. It supports: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, Intel 64 (Intel's x86-64 implementation), XD bit (an NX bit implementation). With 2 GHz clock speed and 1024 KB of level 2 cache performance it is inline with the Pentium M 760 CPU of yesteryear except the Celeron has the added benefit of SSE3, SSSE3 and Intel 64. Not too shabby.

The Extensa 5220 is not going to win any speed contests. It does however run the Operating System and office applications just fine. Here are the results of some common benchmarks that should illustrate the relative performance. Keep in mind that these benchmarks are multi-threaded and really favor dual core (or greater) CPUs.

wPrime is a program that forces the processor to do recursive mathematical calculations, the advantage of this program is that it is multi-threaded and can use both processor cores at once, thereby giving more accurate benchmarking measurements than Super Pi.

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<a name="ti4m8" title="ti4m8">[/URL]<a name="ti4m9" title="ti4m9">[/URL]Notebook / CPU <a name="ti4m10" title="ti4m10">[/URL]	<a name="ti4m11" title="ti4m11">[/URL]wPrime 32M time <a name="z0ty" title="z0ty">[/URL]<a name="z0ty0" title="z0ty0">[/URL]
<a name="dn4v" title="dn4v">[/URL]Acer Extensa 5220-2516 <a name="z0ty1" title="z0ty1">[/URL]	<a name="dn4v0" title="dn4v0">[/URL]85.818s <a name="ti4m12" title="ti4m12">[/URL]<a name="ti4m13" title="ti4m13">[/URL]
Dell Inspiron 1525 (Core 2 Duo T7250 @ 2.0GHz) <a name="ti4m16" title="ti4m16">[/URL]	43.569s <a name="ti4m19" title="ti4m19">[/URL]<a name="ti4m20" title="ti4m20">[/URL]
Dell XPS M1530 (Core 2 Duo T7500 @ 2.2GHz) <a name="ti4m23" title="ti4m23">[/URL]	37.485s <a name="ti4m25" title="ti4m25">[/URL]<a name="ti4m26" title="ti4m26">[/URL]
Portable One SXS37 (Core 2 Duo T7250 @ 2.0GHz)<a name="ti4m28" title="ti4m28">[/URL]<a name="ti4m27" title="ti4m27">[/URL]	41.908s<a name="ti4m30" title="ti4m30">[/URL]<a name="ti4m31" title="ti4m31">[/URL]<a name="ti4m29" title="ti4m29">[/URL]
Sony <a name="ti4m32" title="ti4m32">[/URL]VAIO NR (Core 2 Duo T5250 @ 1.5GHz) <a name="ti4m33" title="ti4m33">[/URL]	58.233s <a name="ti4m34" title="ti4m34">[/URL]<a name="ti4m35" title="ti4m35">[/URL]
Toshiba Tecra A9 (Core 2 Duo T7500 @ 2.2GHz) <a name="ti4m36" title="ti4m36">[/URL]	38.343s <a name="ti4m37" title="ti4m37">[/URL]<a name="ti4m38" title="ti4m38">[/URL]
Toshiba Tecra M9 (Core 2 Duo T7500 @ 2.2GHz) <a name="ti4m39" title="ti4m39">[/URL]	37.299s <a name="ti4m40" title="ti4m40">[/URL]<a name="ti4m41" title="ti4m41">[/URL]
HP Compaq 6910p (Core 2 Duo T7300 @ 2GHz) <a name="ti4m42" title="ti4m42">[/URL]	40.965s <a name="ti4m43" title="ti4m43">[/URL]<a name="ti4m44" title="ti4m44">[/URL]
Sony VAIO TZ (Core 2 Duo U7600 @ 1.20GHz) <a name="ti4m45" title="ti4m45">[/URL]	76.240s <a name="ti4m46" title="ti4m46">[/URL]<a name="ti4m47" title="ti4m47">[/URL]
Zepto 6024W (Core 2 Duo T7300 @ 2GHz) <a name="ti4m48" title="ti4m48">[/URL]	42.385s <a name="ti4m49" title="ti4m49">[/URL]<a name="ti4m50" title="ti4m50">[/URL]
Lenovo T61 (Core 2 Duo T7500 @ 2.2GHz) <a name="ti4m51" title="ti4m51">[/URL]	37.705s <a name="ti4m52" title="ti4m52">[/URL]<a name="ti4m53" title="ti4m53">[/URL]
Alienware M5750 (Core 2 Duo T7600 @ 2.33GHz) <a name="ti4m54" title="ti4m54">[/URL]	38.327s <a name="ti4m55" title="ti4m55">[/URL]<a name="ti4m56" title="ti4m56">[/URL]
Hewlett Packard DV6000z (Turion X2 TL-60 @ 2.0GHz) <a name="ti4m57" title="ti4m57">[/URL]	38.720s <a name="ti4m58" title="ti4m58">[/URL]<a name="ti4m59" title="ti4m59">[/URL]
Samsung Q70 (Core 2 Duo T7300 @ 2.0GHz) <a name="ti4m60" title="ti4m60">[/URL]	42.218s <a name="ti4m61" title="ti4m61">[/URL]<a name="ti4m62" title="ti4m62">[/URL]
Acer Travelmate 8204WLMi (Core Duo T2500 @ 2.0GHz) <a name="ti4m63" title="ti4m63">[/URL]	42.947s <a name="ti4m64" title="ti4m64">[/URL]<a name="ti4m65" title="ti4m65">[/URL]
Samsung X60<a name="ti4m66" title="ti4m66">[/URL]plus (Core 2 Duo T7200 @ 2.0GHz) <a name="ti4m67" title="ti4m67">[/URL]	44.922s <a name="ti4m68" title="ti4m68">[/URL]<a name="ti4m69" title="ti4m69">[/URL]
Zepto Znote 6224W (Core 2 Duo T7300 @ 2.0GHz) <a name="ti4m70" title="ti4m70">[/URL]	45.788s <a name="ti4m71" title="ti4m71">[/URL]<a name="ti4m72" title="ti4m72">[/URL]
Samsung Q35 (Core 2 Duo T5600 @ 1.83GHz) <a name="ti4m73" title="ti4m73">[/URL]	46.274s <a name="ti4m74" title="ti4m74">[/URL]<a name="ti4m75" title="ti4m75">[/URL]
Samsung R20 (Core Duo T2250 @ 1.73GHz) <a name="ti4m76" title="ti4m76">[/URL]	47.563s

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<a name="ti4m78" title="ti4m78">[/URL]<a name="ti4m79" title="ti4m79">[/URL]3DMark06 comparison results for graphics performance:

<a name="ti4m80" title="ti4m80">[/URL]<a name="ti4m81" title="ti4m81">[/URL]<a name="ti4m82" title="ti4m82">[/URL]<a name="ti4m83" title="ti4m83">[/URL]

<a name="ti4m84" title="ti4m84">[/URL]<a name="ti4m85" title="ti4m85">[/URL]Notebook <a name="ti4m86" title="ti4m86">[/URL]	<a name="ti4m87" title="ti4m87">[/URL]3DMark06 Score <a name="ie_q" title="ie_q">[/URL]<a name="ie_q0" title="ie_q0">[/URL]
Acer Extensa 5220-2516 <a name="ie_q1" title="ie_q1">[/URL]	337 3DMarks <a name="ti4m88" title="ti4m88">[/URL]<a name="ti4m89" title="ti4m89">[/URL]
Dell Inspiron 1525 (2.0GHz Intel T7250, Intel X3100) <a name="ti4m92" title="ti4m92">[/URL]	545 3DMarks <a name="ti4m95" title="ti4m95">[/URL]<a name="ti4m96" title="ti4m96">[/URL]
Sony <a name="ti4m98" title="ti4m98">[/URL]VAIO NR (1.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5250, Intel X3100) <a name="ti4m100" title="ti4m100">[/URL]	504 3DMarks <a name="ti4m101" title="ti4m101">[/URL]<a name="ti4m102" title="ti4m102">[/URL]
Dell XPS M1530 (2.20GHz Intel T7500, Nvidia 8600M GT 256MB) <a name="ti4m103" title="ti4m103">[/URL]	4,332 3DMarks <a name="ti4m104" title="ti4m104">[/URL]<a name="ti4m105" title="ti4m105">[/URL]
Dell Inspiron 1520 (2.0GHz Intel T7300, NVIDIA 8600M GT) <a name="ti4m106" title="ti4m106">[/URL]	2,905 3DMarks <a name="ti4m107" title="ti4m107">[/URL]<a name="ti4m108" title="ti4m108">[/URL]
Dell <a name="ti4m109" title="ti4m109">[/URL]XPS M1330 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS 128MB) <a name="ti4m110" title="ti4m110">[/URL]	1,408 3DMarks <a name="ti4m111" title="ti4m111">[/URL]<a name="ti4m112" title="ti4m112">[/URL]
Samsung Q70 (2.0GHz Core 2 Duo T7300 and nVidia 8400M G GPU) <a name="ti4m113" title="ti4m113">[/URL]	1,069 3DMarks <a name="ti4m114" title="ti4m114">[/URL]<a name="ti4m115" title="ti4m115">[/URL]
Asus F3sv-A1 (Core 2 Duo T7300 2.0GHz, Nvidia 8600M GS 256MB) <a name="ti4m116" title="ti4m116">[/URL]	2,344 3DMarks <a name="ti4m117" title="ti4m117">[/URL]<a name="ti4m118" title="ti4m118">[/URL]
Alienware Area 51 m5550 (2.33GHz Core 2 Duo, nVidia GeForce Go 7600 256MB <a name="ti4m119" title="ti4m119">[/URL]	2,183 3DMarks <a name="ti4m120" title="ti4m120">[/URL]<a name="ti4m121" title="ti4m121">[/URL]
Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 1526 (1.66GHz Core Duo, nVidia 7600Go 256 MB) <a name="ti4m122" title="ti4m122">[/URL]	2,144 3DMarks <a name="ti4m123" title="ti4m123">[/URL]<a name="ti4m124" title="ti4m124">[/URL]
Samsung X60plus (2.0GHz Core 2 Duo T7200, ATI X1700 256MB) <a name="ti4m125" title="ti4m125">[/URL]	1,831 3DMarks <a name="ti4m126" title="ti4m126">[/URL]<a name="ti4m127" title="ti4m127">[/URL]
Asus A6J (1.83GHz Core Duo, ATI X1600 128MB) <a name="ti4m128" title="ti4m128">[/URL]	1,819 3DMarks <a name="ti4m129" title="ti4m129">[/URL]<a name="ti4m130" title="ti4m130">[/URL]
HP dv6000t (2.16 GHz Intel T7400, NVIDA GeForce Go 7400) <a name="ti4m131" title="ti4m131">[/URL]	827 3DMarks

<a name="ti4m132" title="ti4m132">[/URL]<a name="ti4m133" title="ti4m133">[/URL]
<a name="ti4m134" title="ti4m134">[/URL]PCMark05 measures overall notebook performance:

<a name="ti4m135" title="ti4m135">[/URL]<a name="ti4m136" title="ti4m136">[/URL]<a name="ti4m137" title="ti4m137">[/URL]<a name="ti4m138" title="ti4m138">[/URL]

<a name="ti4m139" title="ti4m139">[/URL]<a name="ti4m140" title="ti4m140">[/URL]Notebook <a name="ti4m141" title="ti4m141">[/URL]	<a name="ti4m142" title="ti4m142">[/URL]PCMark05 Score <a name="vw_q" title="vw_q">[/URL]<a name="vw_q0" title="vw_q0">[/URL]
<a name="hg" title="hg">[/URL]Acer Extensa 5220-2516 <a name="vw_q1" title="vw_q1">[/URL]	<a name="hg0" title="hg0">[/URL]2182 PCMarks <a name="ti4m143" title="ti4m143">[/URL]<a name="ti4m144" title="ti4m144">[/URL]
Dell Inspiron 1525 (2.0GHz Intel T7250, Intel X3100) <a name="ti4m147" title="ti4m147">[/URL]	4,149 PCMarks <a name="ti4m150" title="ti4m150">[/URL]<a name="ti4m151" title="ti4m151">[/URL]
Dell <a name="ti4m152" title="ti4m152">[/URL]XPS M1530 (2.20GHz Intel T7500, Nvidia 8600M GT 256MB) <a name="ti4m153" title="ti4m153">[/URL]	5,412 PCMarks <a name="ti4m154" title="ti4m154">[/URL]<a name="ti4m155" title="ti4m155">[/URL]
Dell Inspiron 1520 (2.0GHz Intel T7300, NVIDIA 8600M GT) <a name="ti4m156" title="ti4m156">[/URL]	4,616 PCMarks <a name="ti4m157" title="ti4m157">[/URL]<a name="ti4m158" title="ti4m158">[/URL]
Dell <a name="ti4m159" title="ti4m159">[/URL]XPS M1330 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS) <a name="ti4m160" title="ti4m160">[/URL]	4,591 PCMarks <a name="ti4m161" title="ti4m161">[/URL]<a name="ti4m162" title="ti4m162">[/URL]
Lenovo <a name="ti4m163" title="ti4m163">[/URL]ThinkPad X61 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, Intel X3100) <a name="ti4m164" title="ti4m164">[/URL]	4,153 PCMarks <a name="ti4m165" title="ti4m165">[/URL]<a name="ti4m166" title="ti4m166">[/URL]
Lenovo 3000 V200 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, Intel X3100) <a name="ti4m167" title="ti4m167">[/URL]	3,987 PCMarks <a name="ti4m168" title="ti4m168">[/URL]<a name="ti4m169" title="ti4m169">[/URL]
Lenovo T60 Widescreen (2.0GHz Intel T7200, ATI X1400 128MB) <a name="ti4m170" title="ti4m170">[/URL]	4,189 PCMarks <a name="ti4m171" title="ti4m171">[/URL]<a name="ti4m172" title="ti4m172">[/URL]
HP dv6000t (2.16GHz Intel T7400, NVIDA GeForce Go 7400) <a name="ti4m173" title="ti4m173">[/URL]	4,234 PCMarks <a name="ti4m174" title="ti4m174">[/URL]<a name="ti4m175" title="ti4m175">[/URL]
Fujitsu N6410 (1.66GHz Core Duo, ATI X1400) <a name="ti4m176" title="ti4m176">[/URL]	3,487 PCMarks <a name="ti4m177" title="ti4m177">[/URL]<a name="ti4m178" title="ti4m178">[/URL]
Alienware M7700 (AMD Athlon FX-60, Nvidia Go 7800GTX) <a name="ti4m179" title="ti4m179">[/URL]	5,597 PCMarks <a name="ti4m180" title="ti4m180">[/URL]<a name="ti4m181" title="ti4m181">[/URL]
Sony <a name="ti4m182" title="ti4m182">[/URL]VAIO SZ-110B in Speed Mode (Using Nvidia GeForce Go 7400) <a name="ti4m183" title="ti4m183">[/URL]	3,637 PCMarks <a name="ti4m184" title="ti4m184">[/URL]<a name="ti4m185" title="ti4m185">[/URL]
Asus V6J (1.86GHz Core Duo T2400, Nvidia Go 7400) <a name="ti4m186" title="ti4m186">[/URL]	3,646 PCMarks

As grim as the benchmarks look, it has to be pointed out that it does not feel as slow as the test results suggest. Lack of system memory is a greater concern than the CPU.

Looking at memory and storage, 1024 MB of ram is the bare minimum for a modern OS. My brief experience with 512MB in Vista drove this point home. The 120GB HDD is quiet and does not generate much heat. DASP (Disk Anti-Shock Protection) is featured in this drive to lower the risk of data loss. A Pioneer optical drive was a pleasant surprise on a budget notebook like the 5220. You get dual layer and support for just about every non-HD optical format out there.

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Keyboard and Touchpad

Acer's slightly curved keyboard is flex free and quiet. Keys have a stiff dampened feel. The quality is not far from Lenovo and Dell's best. Acer gave the 5220 a small touch pad. It does not quite fit the dimensions of the notebook but works fine. The Apple approach to touch pad design whereby a sizable pad matches the aspect ratio of the screen makes a lot of sense.

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Wireless Performance

Wireless performance is terrific. The 5520 can see lots of networks and holds a signal well, but this is true of almost every notebook these days. Good WiFi performance is a minimum expectation. I don't know that Acer's SignalUp antenna is anything more than a marketing label at this point. The Broadcom BCM4312 WiFi chip presents a challenge when installing an OS. A clean Vista install did not recognize the chip, and Acer did not have a driver posted on their site. Further, both Ubuntu and Fedora failed to recognize the card.

Battery Life

Battery life is low. At approximately 2 hours one wonders where all the juice is going, this is after all a single core CPU with enhanced speed step. The remaining components are not power eaters. Taking a closer look at the battery reveals a possible culprit; the 6-cell battery is only rated 4000 mAh. This is about 20% less than a typical 6-cell battery. So, Acer has equipped the 5220 with a battery consisting of 6 very small cells.

Heat is a non-issue. The Acer 5220 generates very little heat when plugged in and almost nothing when on battery. Considering the heat given off by some of the dual core notebooks I have reviewed lately, this is a real treat. Fan noise is reasonable and is only noticeable on the 'high performance' power profile.

Poor battery life is not the 5220's only portability issue, it could benefit from a weight loss program. At 6.4 lbs, you'll develop burly shoulders in no time if you lug this around a lot. Thankfully the AC Adapter is tiny. The dimension are 14.2&quot; (360.0mm) wide x 10.5&quot; (267.0mm) depth x 1.7&quot; (43.0mm) thick.

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You can tell where the weight went as you test the chassis for flex - this notebook feels sturdy. The boring gray plastic is thick and flex free for the most part. Chrome accents around the touch pad and above the keyboard help the 5220 to look a bit less cheap.
Expansion cards are supported. Both and Cardbus and Expresscard 54 slot grace the 5220. A flash card reader is included that supports SD, MMC, MemoryStick and xD.

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VGA and S-Video output allows you to connect to an external screen or projector. A total of four USB 2.0 and one Firewire port round out the 5220's port selection.

Fun and Games

Software out of the box is standard PC fare. Vista, NTI CD burning suite, anti virus trial and Acer ePowering utilities are worth keeping, Yahoo toolbar isn't. There is nothing exciting about the software bundle and it works reasonably well if that is what you like. Make sure you use Acers backup utility to create a factory refresh disc set so that you can start having fun.

Ubuntu 8.0.4 LiveCD did not support the 5220's wireless card, but everything else worked out of the box. Fedora 9 LiveCD and a full install both ran well too, but it required a bit more tweaking after the first boot. Like Ubuntu, there is no support for the BCM4310 WiFi card. Judging by the number of forum posts on Linux message boards the Broadcom BCM4311 seems to give a lot of people problems. The fonts also looked a bit strange in Fedora, slightly truncated.

Casual games, and retro titles that do not require the latest GPUs run fine on the 5220. This would be a great machine to relive or experience for the first time awesome games like Baldur's Gate, Planescape Torment and Fallout. New hack for these titles allow them to run at full resolution - Planescape with 1280x800 pixels is breath taking.

Conclusion

With a poor battery life and hefty weight, at normal business value PC price of $600 I would advise most people to avoid the Acer Extensa 5220. But with a price of $399 (less with coupons) it is hard not to appreciate the value on offer here.

This is a solid workhorse notebook. It is built on a well-support platform that is compatible with lots of operating systems. It has the ports a business user needs and technologies like DASP to keep data safe.

It handles Vista well-enough, but Linux and other OSes work really well with the stock hardware and hint at just how much bloat is in Microsoft's latest OS. You really need 2GB or more to enjoy Vista. There is mention in the Acer documentation of an XP downgrade, that might be an option for some people.

For shoppers seeking a basic computer or hacking/tweaking platform this Acer will be a good choice. The Extensa 5220 is priced similar to a Pentium-M based used/refurbished business class notebooks you can find on eBay (IBM T4x, Lattitudes, Tecras), but it is new and comes with a lot of extra features (newer processor technology, better optical, warranty).

My Verdict: Buy

 

good review. i think it is a gud buy considering its only 350$. we can always upgrade the ram later, and is it possible to upgrade the cpu in this?

 

Yes, the review mentioned the CPU is socketed and so upgradable.

 

Thanks for the review.

At that price it is good value, particularly for people who will keep their computer parked on a desk. What is the model of the wireless card?

I have always been reluctant to recommend single core CPUs since dual core gives a smoother and more responsive user experience, particularly if multi-tasking. However, a fast single core CPU may be fine for people who are migrating from some very slow older machine.

Intel doesn't list the Celeron M 550. It only has the Celeron M 450 which is also a 2GHz part. However, it is there at Wikipedia which shows it as a 30W part. That's a high power rating for a single core CPU. Perhaps this explains the none-too-wunderful battery life. It may be only a single core CPU, but it uses power. Perhaps too much power to have been turned into a more expensive CPU with both cores enabled.

John

 

Ah thanks a bunch for the review. I was looking at the $700 version of this notebook which came with the HD2600XT. Killer deal but it looks like you get what you pay for in terms of quality.

I just can't bring myself to buy an Acer =/

 

Wireless is Broadcom BCM4311/12.

The CPU is derived from the Conroe-L according to CPU-Z. Your theory is correct.

Penryn based Celerons are on the way though (and I think their TDP is 17-20W but I could be wrong).

 

Not sure what you mean by that. Its pretty solid.

I think you get more than you pay for - especially this config. It does not feel like a $400 notebook.

 

I was just mentioning things like they cheaped out on the battery (4000mah when most 6-cell are 5400mah). Also im sure they did the same with the screen and some other stuff. Or maybe im just having a hard time believing the price

 

Great review,thx!very nice notebook fro 350!

 

... it's still an acer.

 

I have reviewed a bunch of Acers and Gateways - none sent to me directly by the company. The RAM on this particular one was the first problem with the brand in about 5 years.

I have had pretty much every type of laptop, every brand and every price range. There isn't much difference anymore when it comes to quality of construction. The separation from top to bottom has narrowed every year.

 

Nice review, this is definitely a great machine for the price. However, I would note that no Celeron M's have ever supported speedstep in any capacity. The only Celerons that can speedstep are the desktop allendale ones, if i recall.. this is probably the main reason why it does not get good battery life.

 

Wow looks pretty good for $350-400.

 

*Sigh* I wish that coupon was public. I'm looking to buy something that's only $50 out of my range. How ironic lol. That's life I guess.

 

Great review. My first notebook actually was an acer travelmate 291 and I put it to heavy use each day for five years until I managed to step on the screen. I tend to think 'cheap' notebook are just as unlikely to break in half as the super-expensive ones. The only difference seems to be a machine that feels more sturdy and creaks less.

 

Hi,

I would like to point out something about the battery. Not to ***** or anything, just to inform you

You concluded that that battery had smaller cells because it was 4000mAh while others 6 cells were 5400+mAh.

Amps are not everything. mAh is the unit for "ampere during an hour". Which means the battery will last an hour when asked 4000mA.

All electronics component will dissipate heat. Power consumption is defined in watts. A watt is equal to Volt * Amps. So wAh (watts during an hour) is equal to Volt * mAh. This is where all the fun comes in.

To be able to accurately compare two batteries, one must compare the wAh, not the mAh!

All this because a battery rated at 14.4v and 4500mAh (64.8 wAh) will actually deliver more power than a battery rated at 11.1v and 5000mAh (55.5 wAh).

The bottom line: get the voltage and multiply with the rated mAh.

Then you will actually be able to conclude something!

Real life fact: I have a HP nc4200 with an internal 6 cells battery, and an external add-on battery which has 8 cells. The internal battery is 10.8v and 4800mAh (51.84 wAh). The extended battery is however rated at 14.4V (1.8v per cell. 6X1.8=10,8v and 8X1.8=14,4v) but with only 3600mAh.

One would say that the internal battery has more juice because it's rated at 4800mAh. Another one would say the external battery has more juice because it has more cells or more voltage.

All this is wrong; they're actually exactly the same capacity, which can be verified. I get exactly double battery life when inserting the second battery.

 

This is the most awesome reply any of my articles has ever received.

Have you considered writing a notebook battery guide? It would be really helpful and NBR pays for submissions.

 

Thanks for the correction.

The good news is that cheap T5450 CPUs are plentiful thansk to the Gateway FX effect. I'll have to pick one of those up (I sold mine after I upgraded my FX).

 

Hi,

Thanks for the positive reply, I appreciate that I can help.

I'll see what I can submit about batteries; I've made it in the past and it was a good experience

 

Thanks for the reply.

So what is the voltage on this battery?

 

11.1 volts

 

I recently purchased the Extensa 5620-4025 from newegg.com. It's very similar, but has the T2370 CPU, rather than the Celeron. I looked at a lot of sub $500 notebooks before I made my choice. So far, no regrets.

Build quality is exceptional for this price. I think it's easily on the level of the Dell Vostro or one of HPs entry-level business line. Is it a serious Thinkpad T61 competitor? Of course not. But it's much better than what Acer was putting out just a couple of generations back.

Battery life is a consistent 2.5-3 hours for me. Constant use is more towards the 2.5 time, which works for me. A spare 6-cell 4000mah batteries is available on eBay for about $75...shipped from China to the USA. Haven't been able to find a solid source for the "optional" 8-cell battery yet. Even Acer doesn't seem to stock them. Perhaps if I had a proper part number, it would be easier to find.

If you bump the memory up to 2GB, it's very smooth running Vista Home Premium. Even at 1GB, it's quite usable for web, email, light productivity. Load up Office and a few documents, and 1GB isn't enough running Vista.

Many people have downgraded these machines to XP Pro, and they all say that 1GB is just fine. The standard dual 512MB SODIMMS run in dual-channel mode and it's seems to be quite speedy for that OS. Vista needs more RAM.

 

Could Acer be using different keyboards on these? I played around with two Extensas today at Staples. The Intel version flexed quite visibly whenever you pressed any key, and the keys had almost no resistance. The cheaper AMD version had absolutely no flex, and each key produced a very satisfying "click" whenever you pressed it.

 

After many years of looking down my long snout at Acer and Gateway, I finally reviewed a bunch of them and I tell you what, I really like them. These products hit a price/performance ratio that is very good.

For a sub $400 notebook, it was excellent and certainly worth upgrading to a C2D CPU (for speed step more than anything).

The one I had was very usable. BUt I can say that one of the spongiest keyboards I have ever used was an Acer 5112 a year or two back. Likewise the m-6864FX I am typing on right now has some sponginess too.

I find if I press the keboard it gives, but while typing its fine and I really stamp the keys hard.

 

Has anyone upgraded the processor on this extensa. I am getting a Extensa 5220 with a Celeron 560 (2.13 ghz) and have got an Intel Core 2 Duo T5250 1.5Ghz (Socket P).

Was confirming if an upgrade would be possible.